The secretary of state shall be the agent of any foreign corporation licensed to do business in this state, upon whom process against it from any court in this state or from any public authorities may be served within this state if the designated agent cannot be found, if the corporation has failed to designate another agent when required to do so under sections 1703.01 to 1703.31 of the Revised Code, or if the license of a corporation to do business in this state has expired or has been canceled. Pursuant to such service, suit may be brought in the county where the principal office of the corporation in this state is or was located, or in any county in which the cause of action arose. Such service shall be made upon the secretary of state by leaving with the secretary of state, or with an assistant secretary of state, quadruplicate copies of such process and a fee of five dollars which shall be included as taxable costs in case of judicial proceedings. Upon receipt of such process and fee the secretary of state shall forthwith give notice to the corporation, at its principal office, at its principal office in this state, and at any different address shown on its last franchise tax report filed in this state, of the service of such process, by forwarding to each of such offices by certified mail, with request for return receipt, a copy of such process, and shall retain a copy of such process in the secretary of state's files.

The secretary of state shall keep a record of any such process served upon the secretary of state and shall record therein the time of such service and the secretary of state's action thereafter with respect to it.

This section does not affect any right to serve process upon a foreign corporation in any other manner permitted by law.

Effective Date: 07-29-1998 .